"Franz Heymann" wrote in message
...
:
: "Kay Easton" wrote in message
: ...
: In article , Franz Heymann
: writes
:
: "martin" wrote in message
: .. .
: On Sun, 28 Dec 2003 10:55:21 GMT, Jaques d'Alltrades
: wrote:
:
: The message
: from martin contains these words:
:
: I think they are goldfinches my wife thinks they are green
finches.
: I am sure we called them yellow hammers, when I was a kid.
:
: To narrow it down a bit they have no green feathers, the coloured
: feathers are yellow.
:
: The green on a greenfinch is a very, very dull green. The yellow flash
: on
: the sied is quite conspicuous.
: Have a nother look. I opt for greenfinch.
:
: I think the siskins and serins mentioned by Rusty Hionge arte a lot
less
: likely to visit a bird table.
:
: They are becoming more likely to visit bird tables, in mixed flocks.
: Much more likely to be thought of as 'yellowhammers' than greenfinches.
:
: Siskins are 'bird shaped', greenfinches are rather long and thin.
: Goldfinches aren't obviously yellow - the yellow flash on the wings
: shows when they fly, but sitting down the most obvious is the red on the
: head.
:
: Yellowhammers are IIRC decreasing in frequency, and I've only ever seen
: them singly.
:
: I have not heard or seen yellowhammer for fifteen years or more, and I
have
: only ever seen serins in Switzerland and France.
:
: Franz
:
Yellowhammers are decreasing but they are still around and can usually be
heard because of their very distinctive call, even if they are not seen.

Serins are a very occasional visitor.

The female greenfinches are harder to pick out as they are less distinctive
and paler than the male.

K